Draft mechanism for mine cars



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' Aug. 17 1926.'

Aug. 17 1926.'

A. ALLEN DRAFT MECHANISM FOR MINE CARS Filed April e. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 www.

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Patented `Aug. 17, 1926. Y

UNITED. STATES ANDREWS ALLEN, orvGLENoon, ILLINOIS.

'DRAFT MnorIANIsivi ron' MINE cans.

Application filed April 8, 1922, Serial No. 550,576.

p My invention' relates to draft mechanism for mine cars and has particular reference to a draw bar mounting having a centering arrangement whereby the coupler head is'project'ed forward parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mine car and having means associated therewith adapted to hold the coupler head in a horizontal plane so that the cou.- pling head is always projected forward so as to engagewith and enter the female coupler of the opposite mine car and yet may be moved out of its normal position by external force applied thereto, and kwill return to normal position as soon as such force is removed.

' A further object of my invention is the provision of a mine car coupling having a llexibly'mounted coupler shaft which, in

'- within which the'coupler-shank is mounted. -p

order t effect a coupling upon a curve, can be pulled out of alignment and to engage with a female coupler by provision of a flar-l 'ing open mouthed female coupler head upon mine oars'of the type shown in my copending application, Serial No. 543,150.

These and further objects of my invention .will be more fully and better understood by reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings wherein Figure 1` is a plan view of my improved invention showing the forward spring fully compressed Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical view, partially in section and partially in elevation, of the parts shown in Figure 1 showing the forward spring fully compressed;

Figure3 is a vertical transverse sectional Y shaped member 32 adapted to form a housview through Figure 2;

Figure 4'is a detail plan view of the coupler block shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a detail view showing the triangularly Ashaped projectionv on the'lower endv of the Referring now specifically to the drawings and lin which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout a sect-ion ofa pair of mine car bottom'plates 10 and 11 is shown to which a pair of upwardly extending- Z- bars 12 and 13 is connected, a top plate 14 being secured to the .Z-bars 12 and 13 which forms the upper side of the coupling box 'VA pair of longitudinally extending downwardly projecting angles 15 and 16 is provided which are connected tothe plates V29 formed sha-nk 26 or separate therefrom, as may be lower trunnion of .the coupler p block adapted to center the coupling member.`

and 11 on their-under sides, the angles 124 lmine car in the usual manner, a pair of angles 18 and 19 being provided which eX- tend vertically of thecoupler box and are secured to the Z-bars 12 and 13and the angles 15v and 16, the said coupler box being open at its lower side to facilitate the ren inoval'of the Acoupler shank and connecting means. Extending transversely across the coupler box and permanentlyv secured to the plate 14 by means of rivets 28 and the Z- bars 12 and 13 is a member 20 having a recess 21 thereinv withinY which the upper trunnion 22 on the coupler block 23 is seated* The couple-r block 23 is circular in form and has lan elongated opening 24 therethrough which side 27 of the coupler shank 26 being also slightly flattened so as to rest upon the fiat- Vtened surface 25 ofthe coupler block 23,

the drawings (Figure '3)' showing these surfaces slightly out of contact with each other lfor better purposes of illustration. The coupler shank 26 has the usual coupler head integrally with said coupler desired, with an opening 30 therein through which a coupler pin passe-s when the mine cars are coupled together. lWounted upon the coupler shank 26 in front of the coupler block 23, is a spring 31 seated within a cupthe drawing in compressed position with the end ofthe cup-member 32l resting against the coupler block 23, the purpose of the cupniember 32 being to retain the spring 31 in osition and to receive the coupling shocks after the spring'31 has beenI partially-compressed. A. spring 34 is lmounted upon the coupler shank at the rearbffthe coupler CII block 23 With a cup-member 35 having a recess 36 therein Within Which the spring 3st is seated With a counteriveight portion 37 extending downward below the coupler shank 26, so that the weight of the eupmemher 36 assists in retaining the coupler head in a horizontal plane. A pairot-lock nuts 38 and 39 are in threaded engagement with the coupler shank '26 at its rear "endfand are screwed up tight-ly enough so that each the springs 31 and 'i3-lare under a siight tension when the coupler mechanism is at rest.' VTh'ecup '35 is radapted to rece'ivet-he excess pulling' strains to Whichthe coupling 'may he subjected or to sudden jerks inexcess 'ot the resistance'oii'ere'd by vthe spring kso that the springs '31 and 34 will not he setby constant ands-ever@ strains imposed upon themthrough the pulling and pushing of the ,mine cars. r/carriera() is proiiided having an V'enlarged 'portion il having a recess ytherein Within which the flower trunnionr i3 'on coupler block 23 is seated the said carrier being secured to the angies 15 and 16. A triangular shaped recess A is lprn'fided in :the enlarged portion 4l fof they carrier L10 `at 'the bottom "of the recess't2 and Within W' iich 'a `Atriangular 4shaped projection 4:5 on the ytrunni'on 43 is "seated, the projection having tivo rearward-ly inclined ilat'surfaces 46 and 4'? with a sloping edge i8 Which, W ien the 'coupler'blook 23 is in normal position, rests upon the parallel inclined 'tlat surfaces 49 an`d^50 respectively ot the recess M lso that vany turning vmovement oit the coupler'shan'k 26 and the coupler block 23 causes the edge 48 to "ride upon one or the other of the inelined'surtaces 4139 or 50, ylitting the coup/ler 'block and coupler shank a. `siight distance so that when lthe lstrain is removed, the 'coupler block 23 is turned back into its normal posiltion. A slight "space is provided at the u-pper. end of the trunnion 22 so that the hlock 23 'canheeasily lifted. Thecarrier member 40 has its ends positioned hetw'eena plurality L'of stops andV 52, secured to 4the angles 15 4and 16, 'and has lprojecting portionsextending laterally therefrom through which bolts 56 pass which serve to hold the carry-iron l0 in properk position. The bolts :56 have removable keys 57 extending therethrough Vso that With the removal of the keys 57, *the carrier member `4t) can he dropped down and lthe entire 'coupler mechanismA 'remove d from.

the car. The coupler `shank 26 and coupler block l23 can he assembled fo'utside ofv the car and tlf-en the tWhole structure placed in position 'Within the fcoupler ibex land then. the-carr'yifron :110 .placed lin q.position in the .cou- 'pl'erbbk which ,Xho'ld's the structure fin posiltion in y:the mine. cafr...

V'It Wifl'lthus he understood 'thatxthe icou- .tpler h ad S29 can ybe lmoved il aterally r'to (either side `ii`fforceiisfapplietl to the coupler-head,- '1 fbut-:beeirasei'o-f the camnrmg action between t-he angularly disposed surfaces of the projection 43 and the recess in the carry-iron, the coupler head will he automatically returned to normal and retained in a line of direction at lright angles to the carry iron 40 and trie counterweight 37 will keep the coupler head 29 rina `horizontal position so as to insure proper and eihcient coupling of the min-e cars. `rlhe-coupler shank will rotate in the coupler hlock so that the mine cars can he dumped in the usual rotary Vdumping apparatus in' common use at coalr mines :for dumping the fmine cars. y

'Vtlhile 4have Edescribed more or'less pre- Ecisel the details ot construction I do not Mish to be understood as rlimiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes .in form and the proportion of parts and the substitution 'or equivalents as circumstances may f iuggest or render expedient Without departing from the spirit or'scope fol lmy invent-ion.

DraftA mechanism for mine. cars comprising in combination a drawv bar, -a vcoupler block having trunnions thereonthrough which the Vsaid draw bar extends, one of 'said trunnirons rhavin-g `a projection thereon haiingangularly 'disposed surfaces, fan u'pper `retaining member Within which 'one fof said vvtrunnions is mounted, a lovver carryiron Within Which the lower trunnion is mounted, the said .lower carry-iron having a recess therein having Vangularly disposed sides corresponding to the angular sidesfot vthe Avprojection on the ,fsai'd trunnion vWhen the coupler head fis projecting torW-a-rd from the said coupler blockl at right vangles thereto.

2. Draft mechanism i'or mine cars 'c'omprising in combination a draw bar, ya coupler block through which the said draw bar extends, -the saitl'coupler block Fhaving upper and love'r trunnions thereon, a retaining, member Within which the said vupper trunnion is ymounted and Aa carry-iron connected 'to `said mine car `Within Which the said loWer trunnion is mounted, the (said lower trunnion haring =a projection `thereon Vextending into a recess Ytermed LAin the said lo'Wer carryiron, @the contour of the said f'recess and of` the said projection Icorresponding vvWitheach other when fthe draw ihar entends 'through the said coupler block Ain a direction 'at-right angles thereto. Y

Draft lmechanism :for mine cars, comprism-g in-oombinationya draw -bar,-a coupler block through [which fsaid draw bar ext-ends 'iavingrtrunnions at its :upper and' flower sides, `an upper retaining member havin-g a vrecess therein in Wh'ifchfthe upper tru-n ion -is seated, and (a removably :mounted fry- Yiron having* recesses therein W-ithin ft'vhich they-lower Atir-minion 4is Aseated, the-s Y ztrunnion havingineans :,Ssoeia*ted therewith to Inormai-ly h'old the `[coupler shank fin Ja 'linesy ico parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mine car.

4. In combination with a coupler, a coupling head having rearwardly extending coupler shank, a coupler block through which said coupling shank extend's having upper and lower trunnions thereon, a retaining member in the upper coupler housing having a recess therein Within which the upper trunnion is seated, a carry-iron having a central recess therein with a triangular shaped recess in the lower part ot' said central recess,vthe said lower trunnion having a triangular shaped projection thereon seated within the said triangular shaped recess, whereby upon a lateral turning` movement of said coupler block, it will automatically turn to normal position.

5. Draft mechanism for mine cars, comprising in combination, a draw bar, having a coupler head thereon and a shank extending rearwardly therefrom, a coupler block through which said shanlr extends having upper and lower trunnions thereon, a retaining member above said coupler block having a recess therein within which the upper trunnion is seated, a removable carry-iron having a recess therein within which a lower trunnion is seated, and means adapted to normally retain said coupler block in a vertrical plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the mine car.

6. VDraft mechanism for mine cars, comprising in combination, a draw bar having a couple-r head thereon and 'a 'shank extending rearwardly therefrom, a coupler block through which said shank extends having upper and lower trunnions thereon, a re-y taining member secured to the mine carV within which said upper trunnion is seated and a carry-ironhaving a recess therein within which said lower trunnion is seated, the said lower trunnion having a downwardly projecting triangular shaped member integrally formed therewith which seats in a cooperating triangular shaped recess formed in said carry-iron whereby the said draw bar is normally maintained parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mine car.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 4th day of April, 1922.

ANDREWS ALLEN. 

